Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the Church of England has taken to encourage more people to attend Sunday services in their local parish church.

The National Church Institutions have allocated £236million in the next funding window (2026-2028) to the Diocesan Investment Programme. This financial support goes directly to dioceses to advance their missional plans for local parishes and communities.

In the Chelmsford Diocese, which covers the Hon. Member for Romford's constituency, in the current funding period, the Barking episcopal area was granted £14.95m to resource parish churches across the London Boroughs of Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Newham and Redbridge.

This funding is now being rolled out and will see appointments made to clergy and lay worker posts, children and families’ worker roles and a broad range of missional projects.

The combined effect of this investment will see missional growth stimulated, resulting not only in increased Sunday worship attendance but also greater footfall and take up of missional opportunities and social action projects throughout the week.

The Bishop of Barking or the local Archdeacon would be best placed to speak to if the Hon member has queries about the local context: https://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/about-us/our-areas/barking-area-team#team